North Korea’s Kim Reaffirms Nuclear Disarmament: China

China’s Xinhua news agency said Kim, who arrived home on Friday, was given a warm welcome by President Hu Jintao, making no reference to the ship, which officials in the South believe North Korea sank with a torpedo in late March.

It quoted the North Korean leader as repeating a commitment to end the nuclear arms program that is seen as a major risk to economically powerfully North Asia and his willingness to discuss returning to international disarmament talks which he has boycotted for 1- years.

“The North Korea side stated that its stance in favor of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula has not changed,” Xinhua said. “The North Korean side is willing, together with all parties, to discuss creating favorable conditions for restarting the six-party talks.”